And, despite himself, DragonStar turned to see what it was that Qeteb wielded.
Faraday — or what was left of her.
DragonStar felt a cry tear itself from his breast, and the Star Stallion faltered, and the Alauntmilled in confusion, and the next instant Qeteb was upon him.
As Qeteb moved forward, Axis shifted to urge Sal forward as well, but DragonStar shook his head almost imperceptibly, and Axis stilled.
"Neither of us can escape what has been foreordained," DragonStar said, and none failed to note that his voice trembled slightly.
Everyone watching could feel the amusement radiating out from Qeteb.
"No," he said, "we can't. But since I have given your witches such a good head start, I thought it only fair that I amuse myself with this convoy in the meantime. Fair's fair, after all."
The sense of amusement — almost joy — radiating out from Qeteb increased tenfold until both Axis and Urbeth were forced to back away several steps.
"And I find," the Demon continued, "that I have enjoyed myself so much I may well be back for another nibble."
Qeteb hefted the axe, then hurled it into the ground before the Star Stallion.
Belaguez's ears flickered, and his eyes rolled slightly, but he did not flinch.
"Don't bother," DragonStar said. "This column is invulnerable."
His only reply was laughter, and DragonStar flinched at its virulence.
Qeteb's laughter slowly subsided, then, with a final chuckle, he lifted into the air, and was gone within heartbeats, Barzula behind him.
Axis lowered his head from watching the Demons fly away towards the other end of the avenue and looked at his son.
"Tell me you can defeat him," he said. "Tell me ..."
Chapter 46
South
Qeteb strode into the still squabbling fracas of four Demons and tore them apart. He was in a high good humour — surely he had forced DragonStar's hand to the point where the starry idiot would try and move the sixth elsewhere ... an elsewhere that might be more vulnerable than the column — and thus he did the four no permanent injury. The abrasions and tears he did cause healed themselves within the moment.
SpikeFeather, as Urbeth's two daughters and the Ravensbund warriors, straightened in alarm —
SpikeFeather moving even closer to the two women — but Qeteb laughed and waved a dismissive hand.
"Enjoy your victory while you can," he said, "for your eventual defeat is but a week or so away."
And then all six Demons vanished.
Qeteb rose so far into the sky that he was invisible from the ground.
Then he rose higher still, until even enchantment could not touch him.
Then, so high he had risen into the blackness between air and space, he rolled over onto his back.
He closed his eyes, summoned all his power and concentration, and sent a tiny but potent shaft of his perception shooting down towards the column.
"Reveal yourself, mine Enemy," Qeteb whispered. "Reveal yourself!"
DragonStar dropped his head and rubbed his eyes. Before him Axis and Azhure, Katie, StarDrifter and Zared and Theod sat in a concerned circle.
"What will happen, DragonStar?" Axis asked for them all.
"Qeteb's five companions will each confront my five witches. Individual jousts, if you will."
Zared and Theod, even though they had known of this, still shook their heads in a combination of concern for their wives and anger that DragonStar had put them in this frightful predicament.
"And will they win?"
DragonStar looked up and met Axis' eyes. "I hope so," he said.
"Hope is not —"
"It is all I have!" DragonStar said harshly, and Axis nodded.
"Very well." Axis paused. "What will happen if all or any of them fail?"
DragonStar took his time replying. "If one fails then it means that I will be seriously weakened. Any more than that and I may fail —"
"Gods!" Zared exploded, "I care not for you and your 'may fail'! I care only for my wife! As Theod cares only for his wife! What happens if our wives fail?"
"If any of the witches fail, then they will ultimately die," DragonStar said, turning his steady gaze from Axis to Zared.
